Harness-operating mechanism for looms.



No. 650,813. Patented May 29, I900. F. LACEY.

HARNESS OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS. (Application flied Oct. 14, 1899.) (No Model.)

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No. 650,8|3.' Patented May 29, I900.

F. LACEY.

HARNESS OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS. (Application filed Oct. 14, 1899.)

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No. 650,8I3. Patented May 29, I900. F. LACEY.

HARNESS OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

(Application filed Oct. 14, 1899.) (N0 Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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F. LACEY.

HARNESS OPERATINGMECHANISM FOR LOOMS. (Application filed Oct. 14, 1899.)

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Patehted May 29, i900.

No. 650,8l3.

F. LACEY. HARNESS OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

(Application filed Oct. 14, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

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( i/ M .9? rwz Nate STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED LACEY, OF VALLEYFIELD, CANADA.

HARNESSOPERATlNGMECHAN'ISM FOR LOOM S.

sPnciFIcArIoN forming part of Letters Patent 1%. 650,813, date'd May 29, 1960. Application filed October 14 1899. Serial No. 733,552. (No model.)

for producing the successive sheds'amongthe warp-threads are derived, primarily, from positively-acting devices provided for the purpose, which devices may comprise, for instance, cams acting upon levers or treadles that are connected with the harness-frames. The harness-frames also have connected therewith arrangements of cording, &c., whereby when movement in onev direction is communicated to the predetermined harness-frame or harness-frames by the action of the devices first mentioned the harness-frame or harness-frames requiring to be moved in the reverse direction will be shifted in that direction, and whereby,also,the harness-frames which do-not require to be shifted will be held in their proper position. The present invention has relation to arrangements of the class last mentioned.

In reducing the invention to practice I em ploy in a loom a series of movable arms or carriers, which latter are operatively connected with the series ofharness-frames in such loom, so that the respective arms or carriers move in unison with particular harness frames. Each of the said movable arms or carriers has applied thereto a sheave or equivalent guide for a flexible connector. A second series of sheaves or equivalent guides is arranged adjacent to the said arms or carriers.v A continuous cord, chain, or the like flexible connector is applied to the two series of sheaves or guides, passing alternately around a sheave or guide on one of the arms or carriers, then around one of the sheaves or guides of the other series aforesaid, then around another sheave or guide on an ad j oining arm or carrier, and so on throughout the two series of sheaves or guides. Hereinafter for convenience in description the terms ,sheave and cord alone are used in some instances; but it will be understood that I do not restrict myself specifically thereto; Each sheave or guide carried by one of the arms or carriers is received within a loop or b'ight of the said continuous cord or flexible connector extending from sheaves or guides of the' opposing series. When a given harness-frame is moved in one direction by the action of the corresponding cam upon the lever or treadle which is connected with such harness-frame or other operating mechanism, the movement of the arm or carrier that also 'is in connection with such harness-frame causes a lengthening out or extension of the loop or bight that passes around the sheave or guide that is carried by such arm. This operates in obvious manner with a tendency to shorten the other loops 0r bights in said cord and to draw in the reverse direction any harness-frame which is free to be thus drawn, in addition to maintaining the remaining harness-frames stationary in their normal position. 1

Various modifications are possible within the limits of my invention in the construction and arrangement of the features of the invention and in the manner of applying and using the said features. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated certain of these modifications.

Having reference to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing in front elevation one embodiment of my invention, and one mode of making application of the invention, portions of a loom-arch and of two harness-frames being represented. Fig. 2 shows in plan the parts in Fig. 1 which are more immediately involved in the invention. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows near the ends of such line. Fig. 4 is a view showing in front elevation another embodiment of the invention and another mode of applying the same in practice. Fig. 5 is a partial plan of the parts in Fig. i. Fig. 6 is a front elevation illustrat In the drawings, referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, 1 designates part of the arch of a loom-frame. 2 2 designate harness-frames. 3 3 designate straps, with the lower ends of which are connected the wire connections 4 4, the ends of the latter being attached to the harness-frames. 5 5 are the movable arms or carriers. The arms shown in the drawings are provided with segmental ends 51 51, to which are attached the straps 3 3, and they are mounted pivotally upon a rod 6, the latter being carried by a stand 7, which is applied to the loom-arch 1. The harness-frames 2 2 are suspended from the segmental ends 51 51 of arms 5 5 by means of the said straps 3 3 and wire connections 4 4. The arms 5 5 are confined between stand 7 and a plate 8. One end of plate Sis fitted upon the said bolt 6, nuts 61. 61 being applied to the opposite ends of such bolt for the purpose of holding the stand 7, arms 5 5, and plate 8 together at the pivotal ends of the arms. A tie-rod 9 passes through holes in thestand 7 and plate 8 and through segmental slots 52 52 in the arms 5 5, it receiving nuts 91 91 upon its opposite ends and serving to hold the parts together at an intermediate pointin the length of the arms. The portions of the arms in which the slots 52 52 are formed constitute lateral extensions, which by their mutual contact serve to guide and steady the arms in their movement. These latter functions are shared also by the segments 51 51. 1.0 designates the sheave which is applied to each arm or carrier 5. IIerein each sheave 10 is mounted upon a pin 53, with which the corresponding arm or carrier is provided, the said pin projecting laterally from the arm or carrier, although the precise manner and means of mounting the sheave upon the arm or carrier are not essential to the invention, the requisite being that the sheave shall be positioned by the arm or carrier in the working of the parts. The second series of sheaves is shown at 11 11. The sheaves 11 11 are mounted upon a rod 12, which is supported in the upper portions of the stand 7 and plate 8. 13 designates the cord which is applied to the sheaves 10 and 11, itproceeding, as shown, alternately partially around a sheave 11 then partially around a sheave 10, then partially around a sheave l1, and so on. As will be pereeived,the sheaves 10 10 are received within loops or bights of the cord 13, extending from sheaves 11 11. From the first and last sheaves 1O 10 in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the cord 13 extends through guides 14 14 and partly around guide-sheaves 15 15, which last are mounted to rotate on pins 16 16, carried by the supporting-bracket 17, which herein is shown as having its depending arms applied to the opposite ends of rod 12 and secured in position thereon by the clamping-screws 18 18.

In practice when one of the harness-frames 2 2 is depressed by the action of its cam or other actuator (not necessary to be shown) the corresponding arm or carrier 5 is moved in a corresponding direction through the de scribed connections. This extends the loop or bight of cord 13,whieh contains the sheave 10 or other guide of the arm or carrier. As such loop or bight extends or lengthens the tendency is to shorten the other loops or bights, drawing up any one thereof corresponding with a harness-frame which has been moved into its depressed position andis now free to rise and operating to hold the various harness-frames in their normal elevated positions, with the exception of the one which has been depressed, as explained.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the cord 13 is endless, and when more than four harness-frames are employed it usually is left free to shift back and forth over the guide-sheaves 15 15 in the working of the mechanism. This shifts the wear resulting from the working of the arms 5 5. It also facilitates the working of the arms at opposite ends of the series, since when such arms succeed each other in being drawn down the necessary slack in the cord will be obtained, in whole or in part, in consequence of movement of the upper portion of the cord over the said guide-sheaves. Thereby friction and wear due to movement of the cord around a good many sheaves or guides is avoided.

The mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is designed more especially for use in cases in which more than four harness-frames are operated. When the mechanism is used in connection with four harness-frames, the cord 13 does not need to be endless, and its ends may be fixed in the two guides 14 14, as by means of clamping-screws 1!) 1.), applied to the said guides and compressing the cord within the same. In this case the guidesheaves 15 15 may be omitted.

Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show the improved mechanism, located near the middle of the loomarch, with the arms 5 5, to which the harnessframes are conneeted,in a horizontal position, their segmental inner ends 51 51 being over the middle of the lengths of the harnessframes. In these figures the sheaves 11 11 are above the sheaves 1,5) 10, which are mounted on the said arms 6r carriers. The location and arrangement of the mechanism in the loom may be varied according to circumstances in practice.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modification of the invention in which the arms or carriers 5 5 are disposed in a vertical position at one end of the loom, their segmental ends 51 51 here being uppermost and arranged to move out wardly and in wardly,while the sheaves 11 are at one side of the sheaves 10, carried by the said arms and outside the latter. The harness connections 41 41 here pass partially around direction-changing sheaves 21 21 on the loom-arch on their way from the harnessframes to the arms 5 5. In these figures last mentioned by way of illustrating the use of the invention in connection with five harnessframes or less the ends of cord 13 are represented as attached to fixed partsas, for instance, to screws, pins, or other projections, as 20 20, on the stand 7 and plate 8.

In the modifications which have thus far been referred to the harness connections have extended directly to the carriers for the movably-mounted sheaves 1O 10. Figs. 6 and 7 show a modification in which the harness connections, here designated :12 42, from successive harness-frames are joined to straps 3 3, that are connected with the segmental ends 54 54 of arms 55 55, which are mounted pivotally at 56 56 and which in turn are operas tively connected with movable carriers 57 for the sheaves 10. The operative connection between each arm 55 and the corresponding carrier 57 may be effected variously in practice. Herein a pin 58 on one of the said parts is shown working in a hole in the other thereof. The hole at one end of the carrier is made in the form of a longitudinal slot to permit the corresponding pin 58 to play freely therein as the arms and carrier vibrate up and down. In Figs. 6 and 7 each carrier 57 is connected at one end thereof with an arm 55 pertaining to one harness-frame and at the end thereof with the like arm pertaining to the next adjacent harness-frame. This reduces by one-half the number of sheaves which are necessary to be employed and also lessens the friction due to the working of the parts and the resulting wear. The arms 55 55 are pivoted alternately above and below. The pivots of the sheaves 1O 10 preferably are located at different distances from the pivotal rod 6 for the arms or carriers 5 5, being arranged progressively nearer said rodin proceeding from front torear in the loom. This enables the rear harness-frames to be moved proportionately farther in shedding in order to produce clear V-sheds. The same result in the shedding may be attained by varying the distance from the pivotal support of the arms at which the harness-frames are connected with the arms. The sheaves ll 11 preferably stand in an oblique or angular position with relation to sheaves 1O 10, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 2. Each sheave 11 supports a cord 13 on itsway from one sheave 10 to another next adjoining, and this oblique or angular position of the former enables the cord to pass readily to and from sheave 11 without rubbing and friction, without wear resulting therefrom, and without tendency to slip off from the different sheaves.

When the number of harness-frames in use at any time in a loom having applied thereto a mechanism or attachment embodying my invention is less than the full number for which the latter has' been designed, the arms or carriers which are not required to be utilized will be locked in an inoperative position, as by the use of blocks inserted into the slots 52 or by means of pins crossing such slots, the said blocks or pins engaging with the rod 12 to hold the arms or carriers immovable.

When a considerable number of harnessframes is in use in a loom, two or more of the flexible connectors may be utilized, each in connection with a different part of the entire series of harness-frames. Thus Fig. 8 shows an arrangement which is intended for use with eight harness-frames. In said figure the top shafts of such harness-frames are indi eated and designated a to h, and two flexible connectors are represented, one being employed for the harness-frames which are numbored from a to d, while the other is employed for the harness-frames which are numbered from e to it. Each of such flexible connectors is shown as endless and as passing over a guide-sheave 151. With this arrangement there is much less wear on the respective connectors than there would be upon a single connector used with a similar number of harmess-frames. The two guide-sheaves 151 151 may be mounted upon opposite arms of a supporting-lever 152, which latter turns more or less on its pivot to accommodate the extent of movement of the respective harness-frames during the working of the loom.

I claim as my invention 1. In harness operating mechanism for looms, in combination, the independently movable carriers for connection with the respective harness-frames, the sheaves or guides carried and positioned by the said carriers, the second series of sheaves or guides, and the flexible connector passing around sheaves or guides in the two series alternately.

2. In harness operating mechanism forlooms, in combination, the pivoted arms or carriers for connection with the respective harnessframes, the sheaves of guides carried be the said arms or carriers at varying distances from the pivotal points thereof, the second series of sheaves or guides, and the cord passing around sheaves or guides in the two series alternately.

3. In harness operating mechanism for looms, in combination, the independentlymovable carriers for connection with the respective harness-frames,the sheaves or guides carried and positioned by the said carriers, the second series of obliquely disposedsheaves or guides and the flexible connector passing around sheaves or guides in the two series alternately.

4:. In harness operating mechanism for red IIO

looms, in combination, the pivoted arms or carriers for connection'with the respective harness-frames, the sheaves or guides carried by the said arms or carriers at varying distances from the pivotal points thereof, the second series of obliquely-disposed sheaves or guides and the flexible connector passing around sheaves or guides in the two series alternately.

5. In harness operating mechanism for looms, in combination, the independentlymovable carriers for connection with the respective harness-frames,the sheaves or guides 7 carried and positioned by the said carriers,

endless flexible connector passing around sheaves or guides in the two series alternately, and one or more sheaves to guide the said flexible connector in completing its circuit.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRED LACEY.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN LOWE, J r., H. A. WILsoN. 

